Rchb.f. & Warsz. 1854 GROUP Excisum SUBGROUP Excisum

Collection sheet by © Schweinfurth

Common Name The Modest Epidendrum

Flower Size

Found in Cusco province of Peru at elevations around 2000 meters as a medium sized, cool to cold growing epiphyte with simple erect cane carrying in the apical half, narrowly lanceolate, grass-like leaves that blooms in the summer through an elongate spathe with a terminal, erect, peduncle to 1" [2.5 cm] long, then branching horizontally in two, each branch to 6" [16 cm] long, to 6 flowered , 12 flowered inflorescence overall.

"Epidendrum modestum is part of GROUP Excisum SUBGROUP Excisum characterized by the sympodial, caespitose habit and the cane-like stems carrying many leaves and 1 to 2 large spathes which give rise to a racemose to open panicle with a few branches carrying medium sized flowers with a three-lobed lip. Epidendrum utcuyacuense has been identified in the past as E. modestum Rchb. f. & Warsz., but differs from that species in the long, narrowly lanceolate leaves and the smaller spathe of the inflorescence. In habit it is very similar to E. baezense Hágsater & Dodson and indeed these two species may be closely related, but in the latter the lip is rather obscurely 3-lobed. Epidendrum excisum Lindl. has similar flowers, but the habit of the plant is quite distinct, with coriaceous, lorate, apically bilobed leaves and two large, wide spathes at the base of the inflorescence." Adapted from Plate 496 Hagsater etal 1994

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; Icones Orchidacearum 2 Plate 194 Hagsater & Dodson 1993 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 3 Plate 336 Hagsater & Sanchez 1999 see recognition section; Icones Orchidacearum 4 plate 496 Hagsater & Sanchez 2001 see recognition section;

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